Cecilia D’Anastasio Journalist Profile

Articles

NetEase's Billionaire CEO Slashes Jobs and Games in Profit Push

2 months ago | financialpost.com | Cecilia D’Anastasio |Zheping Huang |Takashi Mochizuki

If successful, the reorganization could strengthen NetEase’s position against much larger rival Tencent Holdings Ltd. and upstarts like Mihoyo Co. If not, Ding risks undermining his own legacy. The company’s gaming business, one of the world’s largest, had $11.6 billion in revenue last year. On Thursday, NetEase reported December-quarter sales that fell short of analyst expectations. Revenue at the games division climbed 1.5%, but gross profit fell 2.6%.
Twitch streamers come home after big-money contracts at rivals dried up

Jan 10, 2025 | thestar.com.my | Cecilia D’Anastasio

Video-game influencers are returning to Amazon.com Inc’s Twitch en masse after seven- or eight-figure deals to livestream exclusively on other platforms ended. More than a half-dozen high-profile livestreamers started broadcasting solely on Twitch last year after contracts with Alphabet Inc’s YouTube and the upstart Kick streaming platform expired. The gaming celebrities returned to a combined 25 million Twitch followers, according to an analysis by Bloomberg News.
JPMorgan, AT&T pull Twitch ads following antisemitism claims

Dec 4, 2024 | miamiherald.com | Cecilia D’Anastasio

Three major brands have halted their advertising on Amazon.com Inc.'s Twitch online service, according to people with knowledge of the matter, after a controversial group of livestreamers alleged that the company is promoting antisemitic content. AT&T Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Dunkin' Brands have all pulled spots from the gamer-oriented service, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing nonpublic information.
White supremacist, Nazi content spread on Steam game service

Nov 15, 2024 | thestar.com.my | Cecilia D’Anastasio

In August, a teenage boy wearing a neo-Nazi symbol stabbed five people in Eskişehir, Türkiye. Shortly after, authorities found his profile on Steam, the most popular online video-game marketplace. Valve Corp’s Steam sells thousands of video games and hosts forums and communities for video-game discussions. But instead of conversing about games like Call Of Duty, the attacker, known as Arda K., was sharing his reverence for mass shooters.
Roblox will ban kids under 13 from ‘social hangouts’

Nov 6, 2024 | thestar.com.my | Cecilia D’Anastasio

Roblox Corp introduced new rules preventing kids under 13 from accessing online games intended just for socialising and from making some kinds of virtual content, like drawing on digital chalkboards, the latest in a series of child-safety changes at the company. Roblox games that replicate hangout spaces, like clubs or discussion forums, will be off-limits for preteens, the company said Wednesday. Roblox is also restricting their access to games that aren’t rated for content.
Kamala Harris signs pop up in ‘Fortnite’ as candidates chase the gamer vote

Oct 29, 2024 | mercurynews.com | Cecilia D’Anastasio

By Cecilia D’Anastasio, Bloomberg News (TNS)Fans of the popular video game Fortnite can enter a new virtual world as of Monday, Freedom Town, U.S.A., created by Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ campaign. In Freedom Town, which is accessible through Epic Games Inc.’s Fortnite platform, there are campaign signs for Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz. Players take advantage of small-business tax breaks, collect construction supplies and build new homes to lower housing costs.
Roblox to enact child-safety changes giving parents more control

Oct 24, 2024 | mercurynews.com | Cecilia D’Anastasio |Olivia Carville

By Cecilia D’Anastasio and Olivia Carville | BloombergUsers under the age of 13 will need parental permission to access certain Roblox chat features, according to a copy of an email the company sent to parents this week. Kids under 9 will also need permission to play games with moderate violence or crude humor, according to the email, which was reviewed by Bloomberg News.
Roblox appeals Turkey’s ban over sexual content in games

Sep 6, 2024 | thestar.com.my | Firat Kozok |Cecilia D’Anastasio |Olivia Carville

Roblox Corp is appealing a ruling in Turkey that led to its ban over child safety concerns last month, according to a statement from the company. “Roblox respects the local laws and regulations in Turkey and we are cooperating with local authorities to restore our community’s access to the platform and prioritize the safety of the Roblox community,” the company said.
Investigating Social Media’s Impact on Child Safety With Olivia Carville

Aug 12, 2024 | bloomberg.com | Olivia Carville |Cecilia D’Anastasio |Margi Murphy

Child safety online has become a national issue. The US surgeon general has called for warning labels on social media sites. Congress has held hearings taking CEOs to task. And lawsuits claiming harm to thousands of kids have been piling up in the courts. For the past two years, Bloomberg senior reporter Olivia Carville has been investigating child safety in the digital world. Here are her stories. Listen to the Big Take Daily episodes on the harms of social media.
Trump suggests avoiding Google in interview with gamer Adin Ross

Aug 5, 2024 | miamiherald.com | Cecilia D’Anastasio |Stephanie Lai

Republican nominee Donald Trump called for his supporters to stop using Alphabet Inc.'s Google, calling the search engine "illegitimate" as he doubled down on his criticisms of large technology companies. "Something's wrong with Google," Trump said in an interview with controversial video game celebrity Adin Ross on Monday.